Southern Electric doorstep selling

Mike_by_the_Sea

WhyDoILikeYou wrote: »

lol what if i promise to be honest
:A

They probably wouldn't want you. :rotfl:

jhp

www.doorstepcrime.com contains a lot of info on this subject.

angel81uk

WhyDoILikeYou wrote: »

Hmmmmm just been offered a door to door job with southern and it sounds like i will be up against it !!!!! i need the money but not this much if this is what everyone thinks! lol what if i promise to be honest
:A

DON'T DO IT!!!!!! Apologies for shouting, but I really would warn you against it.. A couple of years ago I was in the exact same position with another energy company and I took the job. I was swiftly sent off for a 2 day residential training course, sat various tests to make sure I knew how to sell ethically and was given my badges and uniform. All seemed well, the training was focused very much on what we should be selling, where to get the correct info, who we could/couldn't sell to etc and I left thinking everything would be fine and that I could comfortably sell utilities honestly.

The next day I was back home and out on the doorsteps of the public with my area manager. The first thing he did was give me a demo on how it should be done before taking me off for coffee and telling me to forget EVERYTHING I had been taught on the training course. He gave me a print off telling me exactly what to say and it went something like this...

Never tell them you're from xxx company, instead introduce yourself as being so and so, show your EnergySure badge (not your company ID which should be shown) and tell them you're there because there details have been flagged up on the government system to say that they're being charged too much and due to recent changes you're there to sort it out for them. You're don't tell them you're there to sell something, you're there to sort out a widespread problem and make sure they're set up on the correct tariff for the area. You don't ask what supplier they're with or how much they're paying, you just pretend you already know. Ask if you can come in to go through their bills.

Of course by this stage the "customer" is rather concerned that something is wrong and relieved that you're there to put things right so invites you in. All looks very shady already to me! Once in you then sit down with there bills, um and ahh a bit, pull out a calculator and make a few bogus calculations. Once you're done tell them that you can indeed see they're being over charged but it can easily be fixed and start filling out the paperwork using the details from their bills. Notice that not once have you told them that they're going to end up with a contract with a new supplier! You haven't even told them what the new tariff will be, just that it will be lower. Suprisingly most people don't question it and still sign on the dotted line before thanking you profusely for sorting everything out

I was shocked to say the least. I did my days training with the manager so he could see me selling it his way and I was sent out on my own from them on. There was no way I was going to use the highly illegal sales tactics so I tried to sell the correct way. Of course being honest meant I wasn't able to meet very strict sales targets and I lasted until the end of my 6 month contract before being asked to hand my uniform back. Those six months were hell though, I had constant "meetings" with my manager wanting to know why I wasn't meeting targets and was constantly bullied to sell dishonestly.

I actually ended up going to the national sales team annual meeting. The countries highest performing sales person was on my team and I had a chance to find out how they did the job. Turns out they were keeping copies of the contracts their customers signed and used them to their advantage. After visiting them and signing them up he would call them a couple of weeks later pretending to be from their old supplier and asking why they had decided to switch. Of course they would tell them it was because someone had been to the door and told them they were being overcharged, he would confirm that they would indeed be getting a better deal from the new provider and the customer would think everything had worked out in their favour. He did have a few complaints against him lodged with EnergySure but the area manager would always back him up and his job was safe.

I wish I could say this only happened in my local area but it was nationwide. And not just with the supplier I worked for, I spoke to sales people from other companies and they all sold in pretty much the same way.

It seems like easy money and an almost guaranteed job, but it doesn't matter how honest you are as a person you'll never meet the sales targets if you do the job properly. Management will then start pushing ou to sell more, start giving you warnings and generally make your life hell before sacking you for not performing.

bill888

Oliver341 wrote: »

Hi all,

Apologies for the rant, but I just got a doorstep seller from Southern Electric ringing my doorbell. He said my house has been highlighted as being on an "unusually high tariff"

I just had a similar cold call this morning. Normally I send them packing but this bloke caught me off guard. He also knew my name.

I told him I wasn't interested in what he had to say. He was most insistent I would be expecting some correspondence in a few weeks time, at which point had to shut the door on him.

Fearing he may try to switch my energy supply, I later phoned my own energy supplier. They have put a note against my account regarding the cold call, and that any request from Scottish & Southern Energy (who own S.Electric) will be treated as an 'Errornous Transfer'.

I understand this will hopefully stop any attempt to switch supplier in its tracks.

I've also emailed a complaint to Southern Electric but I doubt they will act upon it.

MORPH3US

Had a doorstep sales person last night and the GF knows how intrusive I find the whole doorstep sales thing...

Gril: "Hello, I work for Southern Electric (lie 1) and I just wanted to check how you are paying for your energy bills.
Me: "Why would I tell someone knocking on my door how I pay for my energy bills..."
Her: "Erm...."
Me: "Sorry but i'm not interested in whatever you are selling"
Her: "Oh now we aren't selling anyth....... <door closed in her face>

Back to watching TV

M

Ice_2

bill888 wrote: »

I just had a similar cold call this morning. Normally I send them packing but this bloke caught me off guard. He also knew my name.

I told him I wasn't interested in what he had to say. He was most insistent I would be expecting some correspondence in a few weeks time, at which point had to shut the door on him.

Fearing he may try to switch my energy supply, I later phoned my own energy supplier. They have put a note against my account regarding the cold call, and that any request from Scottish & Southern Energy (who own S.Electric) will be treated as an 'Errornous Transfer'.

I understand this will hopefully stop any attempt to switch supplier in its tracks.

I've also emailed a complaint to Southern Electric but I doubt they will act upon it.

next time just say your name is "DAVE" and scratch your groin area works a treat...:rotfl:

Ice_2

also
I have a biggish note in RED on inside of front door window...
"NO SALES PERSONAL"
"THANKS"

it also reads "any deliveries come to back door, doorbell on side of garage"
so when they do come to the back gate and ring the doorbell as soon as I realise it's a sales person I say "are you an educated person" when they say "yes" I say "well you obviously cannot read as you did not read the note on the front door" this then confuse's the life out of them as they are not expecting this kind of enquiry...that's when you shut the door...:D

Primrose

Oliver, I think it would also be worth alerting the Trading Standards Department of your local council. They like to know what's happening in their local area, and in our district they can also post warnings about specific issues on the Trading Standards section of the Council's website to alert others.

millymollymandy2K7

Well i had an NPower salesman at my door 2 weeks ago, although to be honest he never said he was a salesman. He arrived at my door and said he was from Npower and could he look at my meter as he was investigating complaints about standing charges on meters. i informed him that I was not supplied by Npower and had never complained about my meter/charges, even if I had complained I'm not in npower distribution area so why would they send him to check my meter!!! I think dodgy salesman! he left quite abrubtly when he realised he was geting no where

bullshine

I work for a major supplier and (at the risk of being ridiculed) amongst other duties, sell door to door. I am employed directly by the energy company and not by an agency!

Not all sales people are the same but I have to admit, most energy sales persons conduct their business very poorly. I have seen fraud and miss selling on a grand scale from both competitors and agents working with my company.

Fortunately, the comp[any I work for is quite competative and has some good products that some customers would benefit from so I can go about my business without having to mislead people.

For the record, I always inform the householder who I am, who I work for and the exact reason why I am there. I get a lot of rude people, I have even experienced violence. If some one states that they are not interested then I thank them and leave.

I make a reasonable wage and conduct myself properly. Yes I am on commission and a Basic wage. I could make a lot more by being deceitful but I couldn't sleep at night knowing I have ripped somebody off.

To the guy thinking of doing this job... Give it a try! You may help change this industry for the better. The more honest reps out there the better. If you cannot do the job honestly then be honest with youself and walk away rather than resort to underhanded sales tactics.